It might be pretty to look at, but it’s an invasive plant that threatens the ecology of beaches along Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.
It’s called Phragmites, a tall plant also known as the common reed.
Lake Huron Coastal Centre Resource Manager Patrick Donalee says Phragmites can grow as high as five metres tall, higher than corn.
He says when it gets to that stage, it becomes so dense that it chokes out all of the other plant and animal life in the area.
Doug Freiburger — the Chair the Saugeen Conservation Authority Board of Directors — says the non-native plant migrated it’s way to Ontario.
He says once it gets established, Phragmites basically outgrows the other native plants on the beach and eventually eradicates them.
Freiburger says efforts have been made to manage the onset of Phragmites in Saugeen Shores with the use of some chemical pesticides.
Other options include physically cutting the weed or controlled burns.
Donalee says burning has been experimented with in Huron-Kinloss.
Freiburger says they weren’t able to eradicate Phragmites with previous chemical use locally, but they were able to set back the growth that was taking place.
Donalee says with the provincial ban on cosmetic pesticides, there are stringent regulations coastal property owners will have to follow if they want to use chemicals to combat Phragmites.
He says that will bring the opportunity to try some more environmentally friendly chemicals on Phragmites, but there is concern they might not be effective enough.
It’s believed that Phragmites made it’s way to North America from Europe through transplanted seeds.